German & French GDP fall in Q4 of 2012

The economies of both Germany and France stalled in the fourth quarter of 2012 with economic growth contracting by more than expected by economists, according to official data released on Thursday.

German gross domestic product fell by 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2012 on a seasonally adjusted basis, after growth of 0.2% in the prior quarter. Economists polled by FactSet Research were expecting a fall of 0.5%.

Meanwhile, French GDP fell by 0.3% in the same period from a prior 0.1% rise in the third quarter. Economists had expected a drop of 0.2%.